


Mutants Of Interest

by chick_with_wifi, kamala_khan_for_president



Category: Person of Interest (TV), The Gifted (TV 2017)
Genre: Crossover, Multi, Mutants, dangerous usage of subway car as long distance transport
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-07
Updated: 2017-12-07
Packaged: 2019-02-11 01:04:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12924006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chick_with_wifi/pseuds/chick_with_wifi, https://archiveofourown.org/users/kamala_khan_for_president/pseuds/kamala_khan_for_president
Summary: When The Machine gives Root and Shaw a new - and familiar - number, Team Machine end up helping a different group of outcasts on the run from the government in the fight to just survive.





	Mutants Of Interest

**Author's Note:**

> chick_with_wifi originally wanted the description to be "uhh stuff happens and it gay"

For the last hour or so, the only sound in the subway station had been Shaw encouraging Bear to fetch his ball as she threw it for him, occasionally accompanied by quiet rustling or the odd muttered curse of Root doing something clever with computers in the train car.

Until suddenly the computer on Finch’s desk made a loud ping, shattering the serene atmosphere. Shaw’s eyes were instantly drawn to the monitor, on which a social security number and driving licence photo were displayed.

“Root, get in here,” she called. “We got a new number.”

The clicking of Root’s heeled boots on the concrete floor hailed her arrival, and she put her hand on the back of the chair Shaw was sitting on. “And here I thought we were going to get the day…off…” Her voice trailed off as she caught sight of the computer screen and all the colour drained from her face.

“That’s our new number,” Shaw said, still looking at the screen. “‘Caitlin Strucker’. Hey, she kinda looks like you.”

“Of course she looks like me,” Root said in a breathless tone that made Shaw turn around to check if she was alright. “She’s my twin sister.”

Shaw did a mild double take and glanced from Root to the picture on screen, then back to Root. “You never told me you have a twin.”

Root just looked at her. “You didn’t ask.”

“Wha - why would I ask you that?” Shaw asked, at a complete loss.

But Root didn’t appear to have heard her, as she had turned back to the computer and was staring at it while holding the back of the chair in a vice grip. “Oh Caitlin,” she murmured. “What have you gotten yourself into this time?”

It wasn’t until Shaw gently tapped her arm that she finally returned to the here and now with a quick blink and slight shake of the head. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright.” Shaw gestured to the screen. “She’s really your sister?”

Root nodded. “Born Caitlin Marie Groves, married Reed Strucker a while back and has two kids. I haven’t really had much contact with her since I left Texas. Partly because it wasn’t safe and partly because she reminded me of...everything that happened.”

“And she’s blonde,” Shaw observed.

That observation got a small smile out of Root. “We both were as kids. Our hair got darker as we got older, but Kate always dyed hers to keep it blonde. Guess she never grew out of that.”

Leaning back slightly in her chair, Shaw gave her a critical once-over. “I can’t imagine you as a blonde.”

Gesturing from herself to the screen, Root deadpanned, “I think you’ll find I would look like that.”

Shaw rubbed the back of her neck. “Yeah ok, I walked right into that one.”

There was a lull in the conversation as Root paused to collect herself and said, “Sameen, if my sister is in danger we need to help her.”

Shaw covered Root’s hand on the back of the chair with her own. “I know. I promise I’ll do everything in my power to keep her safe.”

-

“Grenades! Sam, we definitely need grenades.” Root attempted to shove an armful of grenades into her bag which was already bursting at the seams. “And all this computer equipment! You don’t happen to have a suitcase or two lying around, do you?” She frowned at the desktop monitor and base unit, debating what size of holdall she would need for them.

“You know what,” Shaw said, surveying their rather impressive but in no way portable arsenal. “It might be best to just take the train car with us. It’s already on a track, isn’t it?”

“As in, drive it through that wall and all the way to Atlanta?”

“Yeah. I don’t see why it wouldn’t be possible.”

“But wouldn’t that be dangerous,” Root pointed out.

“More dangerous than you trying to take a purse full of firearms on public transport? And since when have you cared about danger?”

“Ok yeah, I see your point.” Catching Shaw’s eye, Root shot her an exaggerated pout that made Shaw roll her eyes.

“So, are we doing this thing or not?” Shaw asked. When Root’s only response was a shrug, she turned to face the nearest webcam. “Siri, what are our chances of making it out of here in one piece if we drive through that wall?”

Root had a feeling that if She was able to, the Machine would have rolled Her eyes.

“Theoretically it is possible,” the Machine said, “but I don’t recommend it.”

“Noted,” Shaw replied. “Root, how quickly can we get this hunk of junk on the road?”

“I’m hoping as soon as possible.” Root looked at the webcam. “What do we need to do?”

The Machine said, “Switch on the breaker to power up the rails.”

“Breaker?”

“Box labelled ‘high voltage’ outside the car. Pull up the lever. And Sameen, plant some of those grenades along the wall.”

As the pair followed instructions Root said to Shaw, “See, I told you we would need grenades.” Root threw up the switch and there was a mechanical whir as the train track came to life, spitting sparks in the process.

“Shut up,” Shaw mumbled. She finished placing the last grenade and dusted off her hands. There were 8 of them strategically placed at key points in the wall and connected to a wire going through the broken subway car window that, once pulled, would activate them. “Ok Cortana what’s next?”

“Back into the car,” the Machine instructed. “See that tarp up at the front? Remove it.”

Shaw tugged down a grey sheet to reveal a control panel covered in switches, levers and lights which meant nothing to her and were all switched off. “Do I turn it on?”

“Well I can’t speak for the control panel but you do look rather attractive today,” Root said, placing a hand on Shaw’s butt and giving it a squeeze.

“Root,” Shaw practically growled. “Move the hand or you lose the hand.”

She tossed her hair and shrugged as if to say ‘your loss’ then retracted her hand but kept her gaze exactly where it was.

Shaw turned her attention back to the panel and, since she had no idea what to press, decided to pick one at random and go for it. Her finger wasn’t even halfway to the switch when Root forced her to abort the action with a quick “stop!”

“What now?” Shaw asked tiredly.

“Not that switch. Do you want to get electrocuted? It’s like you don't know the first thing about electronics and circuitry.”

Stepping back, Shaw motioned for Root to take over. “Here, why don’t you handle the difficult technology and I’ll stand around making snarky and inappropriate comments?”

“If you insist.” Root swapped places with Shaw and within seconds had the panel lit up and functioning. “We’re ready,” she said to the Machine.

“Time to blow this place up,” She said.

Shaw smiled and brandished the activation wire for the grenades. “Now you’re talking. On my countdown. 3...2...1.”

She gave the wire a yank at the exact same time that Root got the car moving. There was an almighty bang that caused the ground to shake then suddenly they were barrelling through the freshly-made hole in the wall before the dust and debris in the air had even cleared.

The uneven, juddery movement threw Root against the wall as she covered her mouth and nose with her sleeve, trying not to breathe in the dust; but that also meant she was unable to break her fall and her shoulder slammed painfully into the control panel.

They could barely see through the cloud of debris and the car lurched again, causing Root to stumble into Shaw, who was bracing herself against the wall. She caught Root with an arm around her waist which helped her steady herself as she grabbed one of the overhead bars.

“We did it!” Root said breathlessly and grinned at Shaw. “That was so fun! We should definitely do it again sometime.”

“This one time was plenty,” Shaw responded dryly, brushing a few stray strands of hair out of her face.

“What in tarnation was that?” demanded a voice with a strong New York accent from the back of the subway car.

Shaw’s mouth dropped open in surprise as she stared at the owner of the voice, who was standing up and giving them both the stink eye. “Fusco?”

He continued to stare at them and Shaw realised her arm was still around Root’s waist. She coughed and removed it.

“What are you two clowns playing at? Disturbing my nap like that. First sleep I’ve had in nearly two days because Wonderboy decided our latest case was too boring for him and went AWOL. Had to solve the whole thing by myself, you're welcome very much.”

“Sorry about that, Lionel,” Root said as she reached past Shaw to pat Fusco on the shoulder with her free hand.

“What are you two loons up to anyways? Cos I have to say this whole set up doesn’t look too good.”

“New number,” Shaw said, ever the succinct one.

“Not just any number,” Root explained. “My twin sister. She’s in trouble and this was the fastest way to get to her. We didn’t mean to drag you into this, though.”

“Coco Puffs has a twin?” Fusco asked Shaw who nodded. “Heaven help us, there’s two of them.”

“Now Lionel,” Root chatisted. “That’s no way to talk about someone you haven’t even met.”

“What’s she like, then? Your sister,” he asked.

“You’ll find out in a few hours.”

-

The journey to Atlanta didn’t go quite as smoothly as they might have hoped.

Root had been irritated to begin with but the confinement and inability to take action was taking its toll on her, and she had taken to restlessly pacing up and down the train car. After the first hour she was twitchy and cranky. By the second one she was picking fights.

“I haven’t seen her this worried about someone since you were taken by Samaritan,” Fusco said to Shaw from where they were hiding in the corner of the subway car, out of range of any objects Root decided to throw in frustration.

“Yeah. She must really care about her sister. I know they haven’t really spoken in years but I think that was protective on Root’s part. Not wanting to get her sister on the wrong side of the law and all that,” Shaw said.

“Yeah, look at how well that turned out,” Fusco said dryly.

They rode the subway car until they reached the edge of New York, at which point the Machine told them how to switch to a different track, one leading out of the state and towards Atlanta. It wasn’t too difficult and Root followed Her instructions eagerly, thankful to be given something to do.

While Root handled the technology aspect, the Machine took care of the signaling and made sure they weren’t in danger of getting in the way of any other trains.

Once that had been successfully accomplished, they were able to pick up speed and it was smooth sailing all the way to their destination.

Several hours, two large cups of coffee each and one near federal offense later they arrived in Atlanta. They parked the subway car in a station as near to their destination as possible which was, much like the one in New York, abandoned and thus safely out of the way. They then disembarked to continue the final part of their journey on foot.

“Where are we headed now?” Shaw asked as they walked down the street.

“We’re gonna steal a car and go to the mutant underground,” Root said. “The Machine told me that’s where Caitlin is and She can give us directions. Apparently She’s been doing what She can to help keep the underground off the radar.”

“What’s a mutant underground?” Fusco asked.

“You’ve heard of mutants?” When he shook his head Root continued. “They are people who have the X gene, which gives them superhuman powers or abilities.”

“Like that voice in your head?”

“Not really. If the mutants can’t control their abilities they can be dangerous, at least that’s what the government says. In some places being a mutant is considered a criminal offense and if they get caught they are imprisoned for life.”

“Sheesh,” Shaw commented. “That’s harsh.”

“Tell me about it.”

“But what is Caitlin’s connection to all of this?”

“Her children are mutants,” Root said. She stopped walking in front of a large blue car and paused to look up at the nearest security camera, giving her best attempt at a wink. “This is a nice ride. You’re the best.”

Fusco raised one eyebrow and gave Shaw a concerned yet resigned look. “I would ask why Coco Puffs is flirting with the camera but honestly, that’s not even the weirdest thing that’s happened today.”

Root slid her leather leather jacket off and put it over her arm, then used her elbow to smash the window. Once she had put her jacket back on she reached in and felt around for the button to open the door. Then she sat in the driver’s seat and set about hotwiring the car. Shaw and Fusco stood and watched her until she said, “Get in.”

Shaw and Fusco grudgingly obeyed and got in the car while Root fiddled with the wires using a pair of wire strippers she had produced from her pocket, then she started the engine and wrenched the steering wheel to one side to unlock it. She began to drive as the Machine gave directions in her ear. “Now where was I?”

“Caitlin’s children,” Shaw prompted.

“Yes, Andy and Lauren. When they discovered their powers just a few months ago they ended up destroying a high school gym. Sentinel Services came after their family so they had to go on the run and joined the mutant underground, a group of mutants and their allies hiding from the law. I heard about it on the news when it happened but I didn’t feel it was my place to say anything. And of course I couldn’t contact Caitlin because she is a fugitive. I can only imagine we got her number because of something to do with this.”

They pulled up outside an innocuous looking building and Root announced, “Here we are.”

“This doesn’t look like a secret hideout,” Fusco said as he got out of the car.

“That’s kind of the idea,” Shaw told him. “Otherwise they would have Sentinel Services knocking on their door in seconds.”

They entered the building and could hear the low hum of chatter coming from nearby. As they cautiously began to descend the staircase, the chatter ceased.

“Hello?” Shaw called out tentatively. “We’re looking for the mutant underground. Are we in the right place?”

A tall, well-built man emerged from a nearby room, brandishing a desk lamp like it was a weapon. “Don’t move,” he ordered. “Hands behind your heads and get down on the ground.”

They complied with his instructions.

“Who are you? Did Sentinel Services send you?”

“I assure you we have nothing to do with Sentinel Services,” Root said.

The man scoffed. “Like I’m supposed to believe that. Dreamer!”

A redhead woman emerged from the same room and went to stand behind him. “Yes, Johnny?”

He began to say something but was cut off by another man running into the room and heading towards Root and co.

“Marcos, what are you doing, man?” the first guy, Johnny, asked and tried to hold him back.

“They might know where Lorna is,” Marcos protested. He turned to them. “Have you seen Lorna? Is she ok?”

“Who’s Lorna?” Fusco asked.

Marcos shook his head and stepped back. “She’s nobody. It doesn’t matter.”

Johnny resumed his questioning. “I’m only gonna ask you one more time and if you don’t answer honestly Dreamer here will get the information out of you. Now: who sent you?”

“Nobody sent us. We’re looking for my sister, Caitlin Strucker,” Root said.

He clearly recognised the name and seemed momentarily taken aback. “How did you know to look here?”

Root smirked, managing to project a greater-than-thou vibe even while kneeling on the floor with her hands behind her head. “Let’s say a friend told me. She also told me you guys are in a spot of bother, which is why we’re here to help.”

“Who the hell are you?” he asked.

“Call me Root.”

Yet another person emerged from the same room, this time a tall blonde woman who began to ask, “what on earth is going on out-” but stopped in her tracks as soon as she caught sight of Root. “Oh my God. Sam?”

“Root,” corrected Root and Shaw at the exact same time as they stood up.

“Yes of course, Root.” Caitlin rushed over and embraced her sister. “It’s been so long. How are you?”

“I’m good. But I hear you’ve been having a rough time of it lately,” Root said.

Caitlin nodded. “You could say that. But why are you here? And more importantly how are you here?”

“I’ll tell you everything later,” Root assured her. “But first, introductions. I’m Root, this is my girlfriend Sameen Shaw and our good friend Detective Lionel Fusco. Guys, this is my sister Caitlin.”

When her name was mentioned Shaw gave a little wave, but Fusco was busy staring at Root and Caitlin with his head slightly tilted to one side. “I don’t see the resemblance.”

Caitlin laughed. “Well you’ve already met John, Marcos and Sonya. So now we’ve established that you aren't a threat -” she gave a pointed look to John who was still holding the lamp “-why don’t we go inside and I’ll introduce you to my kids.”

The two sisters linked arms and as they left the room, Caitlin elbowed Root in the ribs and said, “Sooo, your girlfriend.”

“Shut up,” Root said with a good-natured laugh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In terms of timelines, this story takes place in late season 5 of POI sometime after they told Fusco about the Machine (although he doesn't know everything yet) but before everything went to hell in a handbasket, and early season 1 of the Gifted, between episodes 2 and 3 so before Polaris and Reed have been rescued.


End file.
